320 



Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1919 



ONTARIO'S FOREST FIRES DURING JULY 



The Ontario Forest Service, which was placed 

 on a modern basis in 1917, has been passing 

 through more fire trouble in the northern dis- 

 tricts than was encountered in the two previous 

 years. It is impossible to give a summary of 

 the fire losses as this issue of the Journal goes 

 to press, as a number of the fires outside the 

 Claybelt region have been reported only in a 

 general way. After the bad fire period is over, 

 detailed estimates are sent to headquarters at 

 Toronto. As far as present information goes, 

 the bulk of the Ontario fires have occurred on 

 cut-over lands where slash has accumulated. 



The fires in the Claybelt country while cover- 

 ing comparatively large areas have burned off 

 what is to be agricultural land and to a large 

 extent over areas that have been cleaned out 

 of pulpwood and tie material. No lives have 

 be.en lost, but by July 10th between forty and 

 fifty settlers had been burned out. 



It is an unfortunate element in Ontario's 

 forest protection situation that the settlers of 

 the north country are preponderatingly in favor 

 of indiscriminate burning, and this despite the 

 terrible experiences of 1916 and 1911. The 

 Ontario law requires every settler to first obtam 

 a permit from a ranger before starting to clear 

 his land by fire, and imposes such regulations 

 as the piling of brush, obedience to the ranger's 

 orders regarding time of burning, etc. Without 

 vigorous local support of such requirements, 

 however, enforcement is very difficult. A large 

 proportion of the fires sweeping parts of Nor- 

 thern Ontario during the first weeks of July 

 were directly and solely attributable to the 

 settlers' defiance of Ontario law. Several pro- 

 secutions are now under way, and a few stiff 

 fines would help correct conditions. A change 

 in the Ontario law to permit imprisonment of 

 settlers is not improbable. 



FOREST FIRES IN NEW BRUNSWICK 



By G. H. Prince, Provincial Forester. 



Fredericton, N.B., July 11, 1919. 

 The fire season in New Brunswick may be said 

 to be more severe than 1918 owing to extended 

 period of dry, hot weather. The organization 

 of the Forest Service is proceding favorably, 

 but is not complete, owing to a considerable 

 number of ranger appointments not being 

 confirmed after the six months' probationary 

 period. An examination will be held on July 

 30th when it is expected that all vacancies will 

 be filled by returned soldiers. 



A summary of the fires compiled to date is 

 submitted, but does not include, of course, all 

 fires that have occurred to date: 



Total number of fires reported 220 



General causes 76 



Railway causes 144 



Thirty-seven of railway fires occurred on right 

 of way, and 107 were reported as tie fires. 



The total estimated damage is in the vicinity 



of $120,000. 



Total 



April fires, 2 railway, 2 others 4 fires 



May fires, 19 railway, 39 others 58 fires 



June fires, 125 railway, 33 others 158 fires 



220 fires 

 Causes. 



(a) Settlers neglecting slash fires or 

 carelessness, which resulted in 

 $50,000 damage 30 fires 



(b) Fishermen, campers, picnic parties 23 



(c) Railways 144 " 



(d) Accidental 3 " 



(e) Careless use of fire, industrial 12 



'f) Incendiary 5 



(g) Unknown 3 



220 " 



Twenty-four prosecutions for non-observance 

 of the fire law are in course of action, nearly all 

 of which are in connection with the Kedgwick 

 fire which destroyed so much property. These 

 cases will be heard in Kedgwick on July 16th 

 before Judge Matheson. Complete figures re- 

 garding this fire have not been tabulated, but it 

 appears that a large number of settlers during 



